Thanksgiving Appetizers: Why Sam Sifton Thinks You Don't Need Them

In the hours before Thanksgiving, most cooks are so focused on getting the meal on the table that appetizers are the last things on their minds. And that's just fine, says Sam Sifton. Appetizers don't belong at Thanksgiving.

Quite simply, Sifton believes appetizers take up valuable stomach space that should be reserved for the main meal. He has a couple exceptions to his no-appetizers-at-Thanksgiving rule — oysters or any special pre-meal family traditions, such as his own father's bisque — but for him, the best appetizer on the big day is simply the scent of roasting turkey.

This rule is just fine with me, as I hate sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner stuffed with cheese and charcuterie, and skipping hors d'oeuvres means I can spend more time in the kitchen prepping the real meal.